whole st ory, or someone wasn’t telling Jack the whole story.
“Jack, if I may be so bold? May we have a small sample of your blood? Simply for testing?” Rufus asked.
Jack smiled. “Why would I care? It’s not like you could make an anti-anti-vampire shot from it.” He laughed. Then he sobered. “Could you?”
“Somehow, I doubt it. No, my dear boy. I simply want to have it tested. Believe it or not, we have some of the best hem atologists in the world right here. We are always looking for a cure to this damned disease,” Rufus stated. “I’m not about to hope that your blood might help us find that, but I have a wicked feeling that someone isn’t being completely honest with you. I’d simply like to get to the bottom of it all and find out what is true.”
“Knock yourself out, Rufus,” Jack said. “Just leave me enough to keep the old ticker pumping.”
“Er, yes. We won’t be needing that much. Perhaps, just a vial will do. Thank you, though.”
*****
Evan Peters drained the last of the IV bags and could feel his mind clearing. The fog of mindless hunger that kept him trapped behind the veil of feral ferocity was slowly dissipating. He watched as his skin began to regain its luster, his hands and arms filling out again like a slowly filled water balloon. He lifted a strand of his limp and lifeless, dull hair and watched as the color slowly came back to it and a light sheen returned to it.
“Like the fountain of youth,” Laura murmured, still sitting behind the bars of his cell. She had observed his transformation with total awe. He knew that she had to dispose of the bags, lest they both be caught.
“I only wish it hadn’t been human blood. It will only make the transition to animal blood later that much more difficult,” he replied. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and she saw once again the man she had admired for so long. The man that she had grown to care for. The man she had fallen in love with. She knew she was risking everything by doing this and could only hope that if she were found out that Matt would understand. “That is assuming that there will be a transition allowed,” Evan continued.
“We won’t get caught,” she said, hoping she sounded co nvincing.
“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” Evan handed her the empty bags carefully through the silver bars. “But in the event Colonel Mitchell decides to check on his prisoner, how am I supposed to explain my sudden increase in good health?” he asked her. “Stray rats?”
“Not funny,” She replied, stuffing the empty bags into her shirt. “I don’t have an answer for that. I’m hoping that I can breach returning you to your duties with him in the very near future.”
Evan eyed her carefully. “That could be dangerous for you. Career wise, anyway.”
“If we’re found out, I just washed my career down the tubes anyway,” she replied.
“So why would you do this?” he asked, the answer already tickling the back of his mind. Still, he hoped she would say what he had longed to hear.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She said, not making eye contact. She glanced down the hallways again to make sure the coast was clear. “Maybe so I could start sleeping at night again.” She smiled at him as she got up to go. “I’ll try to get more, but I can’t promise when.” Laura turned to leave when Evan slid his hand between the bars and held her shoulder. She turned to face him once more.
“Thank you,” was all he could bring himself to tell her.
Laura simply nodded before she slipped down the hallway.
*****
Mitchell sat in his office reviewing the progress reports and approving requisition forms for the next quarter. MS4 had a four-man research and development team that specialized in sniffing out the newest in body armors and next generation protective gear. Although they tested it as best as they could, and felt confident that it was the best that could be had, the stuff didn’t come cheap. Laura was more
“Jack, if I may be so bold? May we have a small sample of your blood? Simply for testing?” Rufus asked.
Jack smiled. “Why would I care? It’s not like you could make an anti-anti-vampire shot from it.” He laughed. Then he sobered. “Could you?”
“Somehow, I doubt it. No, my dear boy. I simply want to have it tested. Believe it or not, we have some of the best hem atologists in the world right here. We are always looking for a cure to this damned disease,” Rufus stated. “I’m not about to hope that your blood might help us find that, but I have a wicked feeling that someone isn’t being completely honest with you. I’d simply like to get to the bottom of it all and find out what is true.”
“Knock yourself out, Rufus,” Jack said. “Just leave me enough to keep the old ticker pumping.”
“Er, yes. We won’t be needing that much. Perhaps, just a vial will do. Thank you, though.”
*****
Evan Peters drained the last of the IV bags and could feel his mind clearing. The fog of mindless hunger that kept him trapped behind the veil of feral ferocity was slowly dissipating. He watched as his skin began to regain its luster, his hands and arms filling out again like a slowly filled water balloon. He lifted a strand of his limp and lifeless, dull hair and watched as the color slowly came back to it and a light sheen returned to it.
“Like the fountain of youth,” Laura murmured, still sitting behind the bars of his cell. She had observed his transformation with total awe. He knew that she had to dispose of the bags, lest they both be caught.
“I only wish it hadn’t been human blood. It will only make the transition to animal blood later that much more difficult,” he replied. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and she saw once again the man she had admired for so long. The man that she had grown to care for. The man she had fallen in love with. She knew she was risking everything by doing this and could only hope that if she were found out that Matt would understand. “That is assuming that there will be a transition allowed,” Evan continued.
“We won’t get caught,” she said, hoping she sounded co nvincing.
“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” Evan handed her the empty bags carefully through the silver bars. “But in the event Colonel Mitchell decides to check on his prisoner, how am I supposed to explain my sudden increase in good health?” he asked her. “Stray rats?”
“Not funny,” She replied, stuffing the empty bags into her shirt. “I don’t have an answer for that. I’m hoping that I can breach returning you to your duties with him in the very near future.”
Evan eyed her carefully. “That could be dangerous for you. Career wise, anyway.”
“If we’re found out, I just washed my career down the tubes anyway,” she replied.
“So why would you do this?” he asked, the answer already tickling the back of his mind. Still, he hoped she would say what he had longed to hear.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She said, not making eye contact. She glanced down the hallways again to make sure the coast was clear. “Maybe so I could start sleeping at night again.” She smiled at him as she got up to go. “I’ll try to get more, but I can’t promise when.” Laura turned to leave when Evan slid his hand between the bars and held her shoulder. She turned to face him once more.
“Thank you,” was all he could bring himself to tell her.
Laura simply nodded before she slipped down the hallway.
*****
Mitchell sat in his office reviewing the progress reports and approving requisition forms for the next quarter. MS4 had a four-man research and development team that specialized in sniffing out the newest in body armors and next generation protective gear. Although they tested it as best as they could, and felt confident that it was the best that could be had, the stuff didn’t come cheap. Laura was more
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